The wait is nearly over for UFC 328! Khamzat Chimaev defends his UFC Middleweight Championship against former title holder Sean Strickland in the Main Event. Chimaev beat Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in August 2025 to win the title. Strickland is coming off a knockout victory over Anthony Hernandez in February.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $600K UFC 328 Special [$200K to 1st]

Check out my favorite fighters to add to your daily fantasy lineup for Saturday’s UFC 328 event below.

Studs

Khamzat Chimaev ($9,500)

Chimaev is 15-0 with 12 finishes and is 9-0 in the UFC. En route to becoming UFC Champion, Chimaev dominated Du Plessis from start to finish. Although Strickland might not be the most deserving challenger, the two have a ton of history and animosity. For a short time, Chimaev trained at Xtreme Couture, the gym where Strickland trains. While training, the two seemed cordial, but after Chimaev left, it has been a war of words.

Strickland defied the odds once before against Israel Adesanya, but it is highly unlikely to occur again. On paper, this is a mismatch as Chimaev is a much more talented fighter. Strickland averages two more significant strikes per minute (6.04 vs. 4.04), but Chimaev allows fewer strikes per minute (2.32 vs. 4.57) while having higher striking accuracy (60% vs. 42). On the ground is where Chimaev has his biggest advantage as he lands 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes at a 55 percent rate.

On this card, Chimaev is the third-highest-priced fighter, but averages the most fantasy points (126.7). Chimaev has recorded at least 100 points in eight of nine fights in the UFC, with 92.1 being his lowest total. He is coming off his best performance of 242.2 fantasy points. Chimaev excels at pressuring opponents and holding them down for extended periods. Normally, when he gets an opponent to the mat, they struggle to get the fight back to the feet.

Sean Brady ($8,400)

Sean Brady is coming off a brutal loss to Michael Morales at UFC 322 in November 2025. Morales’ pressure and size advantage were too much for Brady to overcome in that contest. Even though he is coming off a loss, Brady has proved he can bounce back before. Belal Muhammad knocked him out, and Brady followed it up with three consecutive victories afterward. Brady is facing Joaquin Buckley, who is also attempting to return to the win column.

Although Buckley is talented, he isn’t as talented as Brady’s recent opponents. Kamaru Usman, Buckley’s last opponent, showed a game plan to beat Buckley. That is to have a high volume of takedown attempts while preventing the opponent from getting into their rhythm.

Even though Brady isn’t known for his striking, he still averages more significant strikes (3.96 vs. 3.88) while being more accurate (55% vs. 36%). Brady needs to be aware of Buckley’s knockout potential, as Morales also had. Brady lands 3.53 takedowns per 15 minutes at a 53 percent rate, which is his best skill. Before his last fight, Brady recorded over 100 fantasy points in three straight. If Brady is more aggressive at the start of this contest, he should be able to find success against Buckley with his elite ground game.

Value Play

Joshua Van ($7,500)

Joshua Van makes his first title defense against Tatsuro Taira in the co-main event of this card. Van beat Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323 in December 2025 to win the title after Pantoja suffered a significant injury during the contest. Taira has an overall record of 18-1 with 14 finishes and has won two straight fights since suffering his first career loss.

In this contest, Taira is the more versatile fighter, but Van’s striking can not be overlooked. Van averages 8.84 significant strikes per minute, which is not only the most among active fighters but the most in UFC history. His combination of speed, accuracy, and power, especially at 125 pounds, is unique and special.

Taira is two inches taller (5’7″ vs. 5’5″) while possessing a five-inch reach advantage (70″ vs. 65″). On the ground, he lands over three takedowns per 15 minutes. But Van should be able to disrupt his game plan as he has an 81 percent takedown defensive rate. Getting the reigning champion who is averaging 100.7 fantasy points at $7,500 is surprising, regardless of the tough matchup.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $600K UFC 328 Special [$200K to 1st]